Lies and Hunches

Resumes are often filled with lies. Some people should get a Pulitzer Prize in fiction for what they try to sell as fact. They lie mostly about their job positions and responsibilities, their education and certification, salary, and how long they worked for a firm. So, it doesn’t make sense to hire people based on a piece of paper.

Hiring should be based on a number of factors that you weigh before making a decision. These include: the interview, testing, background and reference checks. The interview process needs to include behavioral based questions, work simulations and the evaluations of work samples. The testing needs to include the old fashion IQ test, and assessments that evaluate people’s value systems to see that they fit your firm’s values. The background check includes using a professional company that does nothing but background checks. Talking to references is something that the applicant should set up between you and the reference. This tells you how bad they want the job and shows self initiative.

Lastly, never hire on a hunch--except after you have done all of the above. Your hunches are only accurate when you have done your homework. If you have two equal candidates, and have done all of the above, then you can make an objective decision along with your intuition, and pick the right one.

Decision Day

Here's an idea to help you when you need to fire employees. Give people a "Decision Day" just before you fire them. Do this after you've done all the proper documentation and warnings. Give them the day off with pay, and ask them to think about making a decision between two choices when they come back in the next day. Either they can accept immediate termination, or they can decide to stay on, but must sit down and write up an action plan to improve in whatever areas are the problem by a certain deadline date.

Working Longer Doesn't Increase Productivity

A study performed by Work Life Balance International asked people about long hours vs. personal effectiveness and productivity. They found that working longer did not make workers more productive. Many said they were not working smarter nor more productive. The study compared best practice companies against non-best practice companies. Forty percent of the non-best practice companies said they spent more time at work because their presence was rewarded, instead of their performance and results. They get rewarded for just being there, so they are just there, and not productive. With the best practice companies, only twelve percent felt they were being rewarded for just being there.

How are you rewarding your people, and what are you basing it on? Are you measuring their productivity? If you reward them for just being there, they will be present, but not engaged and productive. Find a way to measure their productivity, and what they accomplish, and reward them for it. What gets rewarded gets repeated, whether it be positive or negative behavior.

The Real Reasons They Call In Sick

A survey from CCH, a legal research and analyst firm for Human Resources, finds that two-thirds of American workers who call in sick last minute do so for reasons other than sickness. These reasons include family issues (22%), personal needs (18%), entitlement mentality (13%), and stress/burnout (13%). The most frequent days people call in sick are on Monday and Friday, followed by holidays such as Christmas and three day weekend holidays. Remember that your people are often juggling work with their family obligations. We need to stop thinking in terms of a tug-of-war for their time and instead, think of how we can partner with them and be family supportive. Remember people take care of first what hurts them the most or matters to them the most! Think in terms of helping them to get what they need, and letting them help you to get what your organization needs. Think win-win for both.

Although illness verification and discipline can help in lowering absenteeism, it can backfire if employees think they must come to work when sick, spreading illness, and being unproductive. Educate your people about the dangers of coming to work when they are sick, and encourage them to stay home until well.

Supporting their life style needs (not weird stuff) includes telecommuting when possible, flex-scheduling, compressed work weeks, Employee Assistance Programs, allowing time off for family health and school problems, and possible help with day care. Paid leave banks/paid time off (a single bank of hours to be used as needed) are one of the most effective absence control programs

Absenteeism is often tied into employee morale, stress, and burnout. The more unhappy your people are, the more unscheduled days they will take off. As always, stay close to your people and keep your finger on the pulse of their morale. Remember that what Senior and Boomer generations come to work for is much different than what Gen X and Y come to work for. Why they may take off is often very different as well. What worked 20 years ago to prevent absenteeism may not work today.

Employee Handbooks

Your employee handbook can become a problem if it is outdated, vaguely written, and is contrary to what you actually do. It’s a bigger problem if employees think it is some kind of employment contract. Remember that employee handbooks often get dragged into court as evidence against companies. Here are some mistakes to avoid:

1. Making promises you can’t keep.
2. Vague policies.
3. Too much detail, making it confusing.
4. Inconsistencies with other documents.
5. Reassuring employees that their jobs are secure.
6. Not updating the manual with new laws.
7. Not reserving the right to make changes.
8. Using the term “probation period.” This can imply that after they have passed probation, they are there forever.

Always omit promises you can’t keep and anything that you are not going to enforce!

Has Your Employee Been Arrested?

When you learn an employee has been arrested, what is your first reaction? Probably disbelief-- but do you jump to conclusions? Remember that an arrest does not mean they are guilty. Here are some things to consider: First, do not discuss this with anyone who is not involved. Keep your conversation limited to people who are in management positions. You could defame someone’s character and risk a defamation lawsuit. Second, seek advise from an attorney as to how to handle it. Remember that employees have certain rights. Next, determine how serious the arrest is. An anti-war protest march is very different than breaking and entering. Finally, check and see if there are any contracts or agreements signed that prevent them from being immediately terminated. One more thing: if the person is found innocent, do your best to restore their reputation within the firm.

Mind Your Manners!

In a recent discussion during my seminar, “It’s a Y World,” we were talking about the fact that many Generation Y employees (16-26 years old) just entering into the workforce may not have certain manners or etiquette to properly sell, have lunch with clients, or interact with customers. This is not a put down, but just reality stemming from the way they grew up, living their lives behind a computer, text messaging,and not having enough social experiences yet. They may not know certain protocols. One senior VP stated his company did mandatory training on interpersonal skills and etiquette so they did not lose accounts. This included communication skills such as handshaking and introductions, proper dress, courtesy, and how to properly eat in a restaurant. The comment he made was that they did not want their young people, who were really sharp and good employees, to seem as if they lacked manners and proper social skills. They know it could mean lost business. The VP said the training has made a difference judging by comments they received from customers. Implementing this training in your company could make a difference.

Box Of Pride

I discuss employee recognition in my seminar on “Turning Around Turnover.” Here is a good tip that I talk about. Create a “Box of Pride.” Put a note in the box whenever something positive is done, or a new goal is met by an employee. Employees can also put notes in the box about the positive things they achieved or something positive that someone did. At the end of each week, have the list typed up and emailed to the entire company on the following Monday. The most important ones should be read at department meetings. It really gives employees a lot of pride and satisfaction and is great way to start the week.

ARE YOU A PYROMANIAC?

A pyromaniac is a boss who is constantly lighting fires within their company. They are Type A's, control freaks “on steroids,” who create constant emergencies, taking energy and time away from the important issues people must deal with. If you are constantly calling or emailing your people, especially after hours and on weekends about urgent trivialities or new priorities, this is one of the symptoms. You have a habit of focusing your people on minutiae combined with being impulsive, compulsive, and stubborn. You look upon the small stuff as a threat to your “baby,” the firm you started. You needed some of these behaviors to create your company, but you need to deep six them in order to manage the company. A lot of it comes from insecurity or lack of trust in your people to do the right thing at the right time. Managing this way is the antithesis of good leadership. It brings down morale and creates turnover. You have to learn to control those impulses.

Remember, if you hired the right people, trained them well, and set goals with them, they should be able to do their job. You don’t need to constantly interfere and divert them from the task at hand. Lock up your cell phone or Blackberry after hours. Give people a life outside of work and they will reward you with more productivity while at work.

DEALING WITH DIFFICULT EMPLOYEES

We all have to deal with a difficult employee once in awhile. I often get asked about this, especially about people who throw temper tantrums. Remember, they are using a behavior that has worked for them many times before. If they get angry, scream and shout, make people fear them, they get their way. You can't ignore this behavior, as it forces co-workers to work in fear or quit and sometimes it leads to violence.

People do things based on consequences that happen afterwards. If there is a positive reward (getting their way) for negative behavior (yelling and screaming), they will continue it. If there is a negative consequence for the behavior, it will usually cease and desist. You must be sure there is an immediate and severe negative consequence.

Learn to act quickly to neutralize the situation before it turns dangerous. Quickly set a meeting where you confront the situation. Have another management person or someone from HR present as a witness. Allow no interruptions. Let the person know the behavior you have seen, heard, or seen the results of. Have written anecdotes of what took place. Stick to the behaviors and stay away from their personality or attitude. You are not a trained psychologist (except for my EPA friends reading this). People must know what behavior or standard is expected or they fill in the blanks.

Get them to admit that their behavior is a problem. They have to state aloud that it is a problem. They have to state the consequences of continuing the behavior, after you explain what the consequences will be. Most people don't intentionally try to get fired. Once they realize their behavior will not be tolerated, and can lead to termination, they usually resolve to change the behavior.

Get them to express the reasons why they are exhibiting the behavior. This is not allowing them to make excuses. You just want to be sure that there is not something that you can immediately do as a manager to resolve the situation. If they are frustrated by an overwhelming amount of work or lack of certain materials or training, this is something you can fix.

Get them to come up with solutions to the problem. More than one solution is possible. Agree with them on the best solution, and set a deadline date for implementing the solution and changing the behavior. Realize when you can't fix the problem. If the person has severe problems and needs counseling then it's time for them to see an EAP or seek outside help. If you see the employee is not going to change, no matter how many times you sit down and talk, then you need to start moving forward with termination.

HOW RIGHT I AM

Yes, I am right. I am not being obnoxious, just proud of my research. Those of you who have been in my seminar on “Turning Around Turnover,” have heard me say what is backed up by some recent research by Monster.com and the Aberdeen Group. The study states you have to make employee retention a number one business priority. Sure, there are other business objectives, but without hiring and keeping the right people, everything else is meaningless.

Seventy percent of all HR managers surveyed state that employee retention is their primary concern. There is a higher demand for skilled workers, and many job openings for those workers that are looking to move on. At the same time, there is a shortage of entry level workers. The managers surveyed expect this challenge to continue for at least the next five years.

Strategies they recommend are: making supervisors accountable for retention by tying the turnover rate into their compensation; creating an environment that promotes work/life balance; offer training and development that grooms employee for promotions and management roles; identify and pro-actively manage top performers and promote from within (as I said stop spending so much time trying to change all the low performers, instead terminate them); develop a mentoring system; do employee surveys to monitor morale and make changes accordingly; and use exit interviews to find out why people leave.

Ethnic Slurs Can Cost Big Bucks

We were discussing how to deal with ethnic slurs in my recent seminar on Immigrant and Ethnic Workers.I shared this lawsuit with the group, and want to repeat it here. If you ignore ethnic slurs, it can cost you big bucks. A Denver building contractor ignored the problem brought to him by 10 Mexican workers who claimed they were hearing derogatory comments and ethnic slurs everyday. The group contacted the EEOC, stating their complaints were ignored and there was retaliation for the complaints. The contractor settled with the EEOC for $600,000 because he knew going to court would have cost even more.

Ignoring ethnic slurs is as absurd as ignoring sexual harassment. Retaliation is sheer lunacy. Train your managers to jump on these situations immediately. Train your employees to come forward with their complaints, and assure them there will be no retaliation against them. Let all employees know (through training) that harassment and ethnic slurs are immediate grounds for dismissal and you will stop it.

Cross Training Employees

Many of you cross train your employees. A challenge comes up when the person who was cross trained has to fill in for someone late or absent. It may have been months since the training, and they have forgotten the training. You have to make training stick so people can jump right in and do the job. Try posting the operating procedures at the work site so that when people have to do that job at a later time, they can pick it up right away. Take it a step further and have them perform the job occasionally, based on the operating procedures you have posted. That way, when the day comes, they know exactly what they have to do. This is a good way to prevent spending your time putting out a crisis when you are short-handed.

Same Sex Mentoring

I have been talking about the importance of mentoring for many years, and not just about veterans mentoring new employees. I have mentioned reverse mentoring, so older people in management get to learn about Gen X and Y, and also about technology. An article in Psychology of Women Quarterly states that women get more out of same-sex mentoring, than by being mentored by a male. It seems that women mentoring women raises the self esteem for those mentored. In addition, it also gives those females mentored a perspective on what to do and what not to do that can threaten their careers. On the other hand, it seems that men are not affected by which sex they are mentored by.

Overtime For Young Workers

Many of you hire 16 year old students during the summer months. A question came up recently in a seminar about the amount of hours they can work. In most states, you can't have them work more than an eight hour day or you break a child labor law. There are some exceptions in some industries, with an okay from that state's Dept. of Labor. Check out the Dept. of Labor's web site at http://youthrules.dol.gov/states.htm. You will not only get the federal laws, but also the laws of your own state.

High School Grads Prepared?

A recent survey by the Society for Human Resource Management and the Conference Board acknowledges what many of you may have already suspected: high school students do not have the skills needed in today’s workplace. The biggest deficiencies are in the areas of written and oral communication skills, work ethic, critical thinking, problem solving, and ethics. The biggest problem I hear from my clients and audiences is the lack of common sense which relates directly to critical thinking. No, I don’t have an answer for this problem except to think like Don Shula did when he coached the Dolphins. His idea was to draft the best athlete available and train them for the position. You can’t argue with the success of one of the winningest coaches of all time.

Hiring Mistakes

I have been collecting data for years on why people make the wrong hiring decisions. Here are just a few:

1. The hiring person did a poor job of asking the right questions and getting the answers they needed. Or, they did not do a reference or background check. Critical information is missed, misinterpreted, or not understood.

2. Decisions are based on biases or stereotypes. People tend to hire people who are similar to themselves or someone they know. On the other hand, they tend to steer away from someone who is quite different. If a candidate looks or acts like you, goes to the same schools as you, or is from the same part of the country as you, that is no reason to hire them, but we often do it subconsciously.

3. The boss or top management puts pressure on you to hire the person, for whatever reason. In other words, you did the interview, but someone above you thought this person was good, although you did not.

4. You hire out of desperation. I have asked this question in almost every one of the hundreds of hiring seminars I have presented, How many of you have hired out of desperation? Lots of hands go up. Then I ask, How many of you thought this was a good idea? No one, in 18 years, has yet to raise their hand and say this was a good idea. Take longer to hire (and shorter to fire), and you will have less turnover. Do not fill a job just to have a warm body. These hires often do more harm than you ever imagined.

5. Doing a stress interview. All the research shows that the stress interview does not work. This is where a person or group of persons asks very stressful questions, or puts someone in an awkward position to see how they would respond. All you learn is their ability to handle stress or pressure during an interview. It does not translate into job behavior. For front line people, the first interview should be done by one person. A second interview, should be done by another person asking the same questions, and then you both sit down and compare answers. For management and executives, a group interview is fine. Skip the stress interview, as they are already under stress just being there, and the added stress does not give you better, or more valid and reliable answers.

Who Do You Trust?

With all the corporate scandals in the past few years, employees are less trusting and more cynical than ever before. I believe employers now have to work harder than ever to prove their trustworthiness. Here are some ways to build trust and maintain credibility:

1. Your personal life speaks volumes about who you really are. Your staff views your personal life with great scrutiny. They will listen to your phone conversations (if in earshot) to see what's going on in your personal life. They have a great curiosity about how you talk with your loved ones. Make sure how you carry yourself in this area as moral and beyond reproach to gain both trust and respect.

2. Speak the truth. The best way to chop down the grapevine before it takes deep root is to keep people informed with the truth. It's better to give bad news then to hide the truth. That also means keeping your promises. Do what you say you are going to do in the exact manner you stated you would do it.


3. Treat everyone with respect from top to bottom. That includes getting out and around, talking to employees, remembering their names and asking them questions to show you value their opinion. Sure there are some people you may not like. Does that mean they should be disrespected? If they get the job done, show them respect.

4. Enforce all the rules for everyone in a consistent manner. If you can't do this, then eliminate the rule. Different strokes for different folks won't cut it when it comes to managing your people. This creates mistrust and resentment. Be sure you don't play favorites, especially showing prejudice against people of color and other backgrounds.

5. Watch your jokes or pranks. You never know when someone will be offended by something everyone else thought was funny. This can only lower their respect for you and make them wonder what you are really like as a person.

Gone Too Much

Do you have problems with people are absent more days than your policy allows? Is it having a negative impact on their productivity, department, or the overall company? You can make attendance a valid requirement for the job and dismiss people if they are absent too often. Make sure your attendance policy is very clear, and applies to everyone in that job category. Describe what entails violation of that policy. Attendance is a requirement for the job, and failure to meet that requirement becomes a grounds for dismissal, according to a recent US Sixth Court of Appeals ruling (No. 02-3633) decision. The court decided that not coming to work cannot be a valid A.D.A. accommodation, because you have to be at work to receive the accommodation ( I am not giving legal advise, just citing a case). Finally some common sense from the courts!

Never Quit The Quest

Even if your company has a hiring freeze it is still the right time to look for ways to upgrade the talent you currently have. Now might be the perfect opportunity to turnover the deadwood you should not have hired a few years ago.

You need to be looking for passive candidates, who may not be job hunting, but may be enticed to make a change for the right situation. This is the time to collect a database of potential talent, and to build relationships. One way to do this is on your company website. Allow them to register, fill out a questionnaire, and receive periodic information about your organization through items such as a company newsletter. Another way is to send periodic e-mails updating them on openings and other newsworthy items. Even if you are a very small firm, with no website, you can still find people through advertising, and stay in touch with them by e-mail and snail mail. The more aggressive you are in searching for top level talent, the more you can grow the firm in the ways you need. Never quit the quest for continuous improvement.